We all know our homes take a lot of work to run properly, with laundry, cleaning, and everything else that we need to do. Sometimes we forget to look after our garden as well. However, not doing regular maintenance, can lead to a bigger job than it needs to be in a lot of cases. So to make life easier, here are a few ways to help maintain your garden and look after it in the best way possible.
Looking After Any Water Elements In The Garden
If you have a pond in your garden, then you will want to make sure that it is maintained and cleaned if needed. If you have fish or different animals and sometimes you can find frogs in there, then you also want to make sure that there aren’t any dead animals around which could attract bigger animals in the garden, And could cause hazards. So you want to make sure you have the right type of pond care in your garage or shed ready to look after your pond. If you have a pool in your garden that you will also want to make sure you have the right pool supplies, Having a pool kept in top condition is important, especially during the summer season when it’s going to be used a lot more regularly. If you aren’t aware of what types of things you need for your pool then it’s also best for the professionals so that you can get all the right things that you need.
Make Sure You Get Rid Of Weeds
If your garden is left for a long time then make an effort to get rid of any overgrown weeds, be careful when removing them as if you try to do it in Autumn there may be animals like hedgehogs or rabbits hibernating in there or in nests and burrows with their offspring. When you have managed to get rid of the weeds and from the roots, you can then start to maintain the garden better and plant some nice shrubs, plants, and bushes to make your garden look more well-kept and appealing.
Encourage Wildlife
A peaceful morning is sitting in the garden, sipping on a hot cup of coffee and watching the wildlife thrive. Having your garden contribute towards the welfare of wildlife is very beneficial. You can do this with bird baths and bird tables to feed them. You can also add different flowers which can help bees and butterflies to pollinate and even get things like hedgehog houses in your garden where mother hedgehogs can give birth. Then you may even be lucky enough one evening to see the mother and babies emerge from the home you got them, they enjoy cat food so you could always put that out for them if you see them in your garden.
Maintaining a garden can be hard work especially if you are disabled or elderly but still want a beautiful garden. You can hire professional gardeners to make your garden beautiful and well-kept.
When you’re trying to perfect your home, it makes sense to focus on the interior of your home. However, letting your backyard go to waste could be a major mistake. However, achieving the perfect garden is sometimes easier said than done.
The good news is that, once you’ve gotten most of the hard work out of the way, it’s a matter of keeping your garden maintained to keep it looking nice. Here are 4 steps to help you to achieve the perfect backyard for your needs.
When many people are designing their backyards, they typically include a stunning lawn. Lawns are popular for a variety of reasons. First, they’re attractive. There’s nothing quite like a healthy green lawn.
Secondly, lawns are practical. You can use a flat plot of grass for anything. Children and animals alike can enjoy the open space as they can run around and play on it. But you can also maintain your lawn quite easily. In many cases, all it takes is a lawnmower to stop it from getting out of control.
If your lawn needs a little bit more care, then you can give it what it needs. Lawn feed and seeds can fill up any gaps that might develop. If your lawn is looking a little dry, then proper lawn irrigation can keep it healthy all year round, with minimal effort.
But you can also maintain your lawn quite easily. In many cases, all it takes is a lawnmower to stop it from getting out of control. Lawn mowing services offer an easy and convenient solution to maintaining a healthy, beautiful lawn. With these services, homeowners have access to professional landscaping and can be sure that their grass will always look its best. Not only is it easier than ever to find top-quality lawn mowing companies, but they also tend to offer competitive prices. In addition, using a service can save time and energy usually spent manually mowing your lawn; this is particularly useful for busy people with limited outdoor space. It’s no wonder that more and more homeowners are turning to professional lawn mowing companies for help – it’s a smart way to boost your home’s curb appeal without all the work!
Soothing Water Features
If you like to relax, then introducing a water feature in your garden is a great way to create a stunning statement piece and an area for you to sit and watch the world go by. Whether it’s a beautiful fountain in the middle of your garden, or a lazy pond or stream, water features are a fantastic addition to any backyard.
If you have small children or pets, however, a water feature can be dangerous. Toddlers can fall into a pond or fountain and quickly get into trouble, and even pets might wander in. Always monitor your children and pets around water features and, if possible, create a barrier to stop any accidents.
Outdoor Structures
Most backyards also include garden sheds or other outside structures for storage or other purposes. This is a great way to use space outside that might otherwise go to waste. However, don’t make the mistake of letting your shed get run down and shabby.
When you install any outside structure, make sure that it matches the rest of your garden and creates a backdrop that you can enjoy. Take care of your outside structure, topping up the paint job whenever possible and weatherproofing it against the rain or wind.
Plants and Flowers
No garden is complete without some fauna, and it’ll look pretty bare if you don’t have any. If you really want to have a perfect garden, it’s worth knowing which plants and flowers you want, and getting to planting. It’ll play much more of a role in how your garden looks than you would’ve thought. While it’ll take a little time and effort, it’ll be more than worth it. Even getting some trees for your garden could be worth considering because of the impact they’ll have.
Furniture and Lighting
Finally, the best way to enjoy this beautiful garden that you’ve created is to make sure that you have somewhere to sit and take it all in. Get some garden chairs and tables so that you can spend time outside and even eat your meals when the weather is fine. Garden lights also allow you to continue to soak in the outside world even when it gets dark.
If you think about it, how many changes can you name that need to be made in your garden? If you can think of any at all, why have they not been done yet? We understand that you might be a busy person, but that isn’t an excuse to neglect your garden. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you can change in your garden to make it better, so you can add these to your ideas to create the best garden possible. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.
The first thing that we recommend is that you get rid of eyesores. They are a nightmare, they look ugly and they don’t add anything to the garden. For example, if you have a huge tree in the middle of your garden that is just taking up space, and doesn’t even add to the look of the garden, then it’s time to look into tree removal. Some people won’t want to do this as it means pulling the tree out, but there’s not much that you can do unless you want to continue to share your garden with the tree.
If there are any other eyesores in the garden then they have got to go. For example, if the fencing is ugly, then it needs to be replaced. Or, if there is an area of the garden that looks dead or uncared for, sort it out.
Add Some Color
You might want to consider adding some color to your garden. Plain gardens are usually quite boring, so adding some color in the form of flowers is always a good idea. They look fantastic, they require minimal maintenance, and they smell fantastic. So many benefits and not really many downsides make it worth heading out to buy some. If you don’t have anywhere in your garden to plant them then that’s okay because that is why pots and hanging baskets exist. Just find a space for them and everything will be fine.
A Patio Area
The final thing that we are going to recommend is that you add a patio area to the space. The reason for this is because you don’t want your entire garden to be grass as there will be nowhere to put your garden furniture. It makes sense to get some kind of patio or decking installed in the garden, or you can do it yourself if you’re feeling particularly handy.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the changes that you need to make to your garden ASAP. It’s essential that you make these changes as soon as you can as they are negatively affecting your garden right now. If you want a garden that everyone loves to spend time in, then you’ve got to put in the effort to create that. We wish you the very best of luck with this.
Growing petunias or daffodils is easy. Most people can manage it. You just plant a few bulbs and then, weeks later, beautiful flowers start to appear.
But there are some plants that are a little more temperamental. They look like they should be just as easy as anything else to grow, but they turn out to be notoriously difficult. Nature just won’t play ball.
In this post, we take a look at the hardest plants to grow in your garden in rank order. Check them out below.
Orchids are popular houseplants. In fact, a large number of people already have them in their homes, so why are they on this list?
The reason is that most people don’t grow them from seeds. Instead, they buy them in their adult forms in the gardening store and then pat themselves on the back when they survive weeks of air conditioning and no access to sunlight.
Actually growing orchids takes a lot of professional skill. The reason you see these plants in nature so infrequently is that conditions have to be just right. The slightest deviation from their biological plan leads them to wither and die.
Venus flytraps are among the coolest-looking plants on the planet. These bizarre carnivores munch on insects in your garden, helping to control pests in at-risk areas.
Unfortunately, these plants are incredibly high-maintenance. First, they only thrive on rain or distilled water. Regular old tap water simply isn’t good enough for them.
Furthermore, you need to plant them in special soil. That’s because their roots have unique drainage requirements. Regular potting soil will actually kill them in a few days, so you’ll need to get specialist soil from a local dealer. You can also make your own from moss and sand, but that’s a high-risk strategy.
Lastly, as carnivorous plants, Venus flytraps love to get a lot of sunlight. Plus, you’ll have to feed them regular meals of crickets and worms if there aren’t enough in your area.
People put onions into almost every meal they make. These incredible vegetables, part of the allium family, impart delicious flavors to all dishes.
There’s just one problem: onions are seriously hard to grow. The only reason we have an abundance of them is that farmers have mastered the art of cultivating them.
The problem is this: many onion species are sensitive to hours of sunlight. The majority of species require shorter days, meaning that unless you live deep into a temperate region, disaster is highly likely.
Fiddle leaf fig trees are stunning to look at. And they produce some delicious fruits when they get old enough. No wonder everyone wants them in their gardens.
But can you honestly say that you’ve ever seen a fiddle leaf fig tree with your own eyes, not in some glossy magazine? Probably not. That’s because this species is notoriously difficult to get right. It needs the right amount of sunlight, soil moisture, water, and humidity to grow.
Trying to grow these things outside is almost impossible. Most professional gardeners resort to rearing them in climate-controlled greenhouses and then transplanting them to natural soil for rare “show days.” However, even trying to get them to thrive in artificial conditions is difficult because of their need for ideal day lengths. In short, this is a plant you’ll want to avoid unless gardening is your reason for living.
African violets look a bit like succulents, leaving you with the impression that they’ll grow just about anywhere. But anyone who has ever gotten to know this plant will know that the opposite is true. African violets don’t want to live.
The main issue is the lack of humidity in most climates. African violets love humidity, but the year-round levels they require are impossible to find outside of rainforests.
Clever horticulturalists at more northerly latitudes have come up with a clever solution, though: put the plants in pots above steam radiators. These run all day and night, providing enough moisture to keep the violets healthy while they are in their pots. After a while, you’ll notice that they start to bloom.
If you don’t have a steam radiator, you can always use wet gravel in a hot room. Just remember to keep it hydrated so that humidity levels remain high.
Have you ever seen someone with a vegetable patch successfully grow melons? It almost never happens.
There are two reasons for this. The first has to do with the way melons grow. As they bloom, their vines spread out in all directions, hogging space and forbidding any other plants to grow nearby. They need to be big to collect enough energy to supply the growing melons on their stalks.
The other reason has to do with flavor. You might be able to grow a melon, but that doesn’t mean it will taste good. Most novices wind up with something that tastes overly watery and full of seeds.
To get melons growing right, you need a lot of space and to keep the soil mulched. If you don’t provide this, the plant will become stressed and your melons will taste awful.
Queen’s palms are a great addition to tropical gardens. Their lush foliage and fruits make them a firm favorite among the general public.
Unfortunately, Queen Palm care isn’t as easy as you might think. The tree requires fertilization four times per year and is highly susceptible to airborne fungal infections, bud rot, and manganese deficiency. Trees can look great one week, and then be coming to the end of their lives the next.
The trick is to get these trees professionally managed if they are on your property. Specialists can monitor them year-round and make sure that you don’t run into any serious, life-threatening situations with them.
The String of Pearls is a plant that looks rare the moment you clap your eyes on it. The impossibly-shaped leaves and vine-like structure immediately set it apart from anything else in your garden.
As you might expect, this is a highly suicidal cultivar that seems determined to end its own life the moment that conditions aren’t ideal. Many owners buy the plant and then wind up throwing it on their compost heap in less than a week.
The main problem is soil over-saturation. Too much moisture and the plant will start its self-destruct sequence.
Before watering, ensure that the soil is completely dry first. Then place it in partial sun, away from any drafts that might disturb it. If you’re lucky, you may get the plant to last six months before it decides it’s had enough.
Air plants are tricky to grow because they don’t grow in soil. Rather they need rocks or other shrubs to cling to in order to thrive. Bad weather can easily uproot them, causing mortal damage.
Added to this, they need the right amount of sunlight and humidity to thrive. Plants that have too much direct sunlight during the day will die, while those that don’t get enough will also perish. Indirect sunlight on a window sill is the best option.
How much water they need also depends on the humidity of the surrounding air. If the moisture content is high, plants won’t need a great deal of additional watering. However, if the water content is low, you’ll need to regularly spray them with a fine water mist. Remember, these plants take up water directly via their roots, not through the soil.
Staghorn ferns are another plant you’ve probably never seen up close. Again, it’s all to do with how difficult they are to grow. They look great mounted to a wall. But if you want them in your home, you’ll need to work for them.
Staghorn ferns require liberal watering at least once per week. For this, you’ll need to remove the plant from its mount and then submerge it in water completely. You’ll then need to wait for it to dry out before hanging it back on the wall. This type of watering simulates the torrential rainfall or flooding that would naturally water the plant in the wild.
Lemons are easy to find at the store, but actually growing a lemon tree is notoriously difficult. Again, it’s not something that just happens automatically.
Like other citrus trees, lemon trees require the optimal combination of airflow, humidity, and sunlight. You should keep trees outside as much as possible, though if conditions get too rough, you may want to bring them indoors temporarily.
After several years, your lemon tree might start to bear fruit, but don’t count on it.
Lastly, we have wasabi, perhaps the most difficult plant to grow in the world. Not only does the plant take a long time to reach maturity, but it is also highly susceptible to disease. It will also refuse to grow if the nutrient composition is wrong, or if you fail to provide it with sufficient water.
Friends, what’s your favorite plant on this list? List your favorites below.
Having a garden can be a wonderful thing. There is a real joy to having somewhere outside that is just yours, and that you can spend time in to unwind and relax. What’s more, you also have the chance to make it look however you want to, which is in itself a wonderful feeling to have. One of the issues that you might want to consider when it comes to your garden is knowing how to keep it truly healthy, however. In this post, we’ll take a look at just some of the things you can do to help ensure that.
Keep Pests Away
First of all, you need to do all you can to avoid pests from damaging your plants too much. You might wish to allow a certain amount of this, but probably in general you are going to be keen to avoid having too many pests in your garden causing trouble for your plants and flowers. Using some perimeter pest control services is a good start, as is finding humane ways to keep pests away from your plants generally. You’ll be amazed at how much this helps to keep your garden in shape and the plants healthy.
Use Good Quality Compost
The compost you use for your plants is really important, as it helps you in ensuring that the plants themselves are getting all the nutrients they need. This is not always easy to make sure of, however, but in general, if you buy good quality compost from a brand you trust, that is probably sufficient. You can also make your own compost at home from kitchen scraps and garden waste, and this has the benefit of providing benefits to the local ecosystem too, and will often be even better for your plants. However you do it, just make sure you have good compost to hand.
Of course, watering is always a really important part of keeping your garden healthy. And you need to make sure that you are watering as often as necessary if you are keen on having the healthiest possible garden and plants. Different plants need different amounts of water, but there is no doubt that they all need some amount and that you have to provide it with great frequency. So make sure that you are doing that if you are keen on having a healthy garden – it really will make a lot of difference to how those plants grow.
Troubled Tree Signs and Symptoms
Trees can be under stress for various reasons, including disease, pests, drought, poor soil, etc. Here are some signs that your tree is in trouble:
Yellowing or browning leaves
Leaves falling off prematurely
Slow growth
Smaller than normal leaves
Diseased or dead branches
Pest infestation
Lack of flowers or fruit production
How to Notice These Signs
The best way to notice these signs is to regularly pay attention to your trees. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, look closely to see if there is a problem. Also, consult a professional if you are unsure about what you see.
Fertilize
Finally, you should ensure that you are applying a good quality nitrogen-based organic fertilizer to your plants. This essentially plants food, and it helps them to keep healthy, to grow strong, and to be as beautiful as you would want them to be. Generally, you should apply fertilizer every four to six weeks during the growing season, and less often in the colder months. You don’t really need to do more than that. A little fertilizer goes a long way to making your garden healthy and happy, so remember that.
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to improve your gardening skills this year.
Remember that gardening can be a year-round hobby. Gardening doesn’t have to be a seasonal hobby, it’s something that you can participate in year-round. For example, you could make your garden more than a spring fling by growing plants that thrive in different weather conditions, as opposed to only making an appearance when the sun is shining. Alternatively, investing in Greenhouses means that you can grow flowers and plants all year, without having to worry about adverse weather conditions undoing your hard work.
Factor gardening into your budget. As gardening as a whole is a relatively low-cost endeavor, there are plenty of ways to garden on a budget. After all, the only thing you really need to pay for is a few tools (which could be bought secondhand) alongside seeds and sapling. If you want to learn how to plant something new, you can always follow free tutorials or guides online.
Show your furniture some love. If you want to truly upgrade your garden this summer, you should also make sure that you show some love to the areas of your garden outside of its greenery, such as your furniture. For example, painted wooden furniture can quickly lose its luster during bad weather, causing it to fade or splinter. Luckily, this can easily be remedied with a fresh coat of paint and some varnish.
Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Growing your own fruits and vegetables is a great way to cut down on your grocery budget, as you no longer have to spend money at overpriced chain stores. This is also a great way to improve your diet, as fresh fruit and vegetables can get notoriously expensive.
Ensure your garden can be enjoyed day and night. While you’ll likely make the most of your garden during daylight hours, carrying out basic maintenance will give you the chance to enjoy the garden at any time, even late into the evening. For example, you could hang fairy lights along your porch, patio, or fence to create a romantic, evening atmosphere. Alternatively, you could build your own low-cost fire pit, providing you with enough warmth to keep the party going all night long. Fire pits are always crowd-pleasers, but they could come in handy if you were planning on hosting a dinner party or inviting friends and family around throughout the year. They also make for a great photo opportunity, and give you a chance to indulge in hundreds of smores!
When you visit gardens or parks, do you instantly feel calm when you hear water run? For more people, it’s a definite yes! Have you ever considered adding a lovely water feature to your garden? This can honestly be a fabulous way to make your garden look as if it came straight out of a magazine. The main benefits of adding a water feature to your garden are that it will help you maintain a healthy and beautiful garden. In addition to this, you can also use the water feature as an aesthetic element of your garden.
You can add plants near the water feature and create an oasis-like atmosphere with the sound of trickling water. Sounds lovely right? Well, the good news is, it’s pretty easy! Sure, some landscaping maneuvering may be needed, but it’s not too hard to achieve either. Here are some fun ways to add a water feature to your garden!
A showering area can be used for both decorative and practical purposes. It may be a large fountain or an ornamental pool. This is something that’s more ideal if you’re going to have a pool, but, it can still look great depending on how you style it.
Fountains
Fountains are typically found in garden settings where they can be used for decorative or functional purposes. You can use them to cool off on a hot day or to provide an aesthetic touch in your garden. Since they come in various styles and sizes, you can find them that are guaranteed to fit your budget!
Bird Baths
Small, cheap, and super eco-friendly, having a bird bath is a great way to have a lovely water feature while helping out the birds. There are a variety of bird baths out there, some even include fountains for some extra flair!
Outdoor Pond
Having a beautiful outdoor pond or even multiple ponds in your garden can be perfect for achieving peace in the backyard. They sound expensive and different, but you’ll be surprised to learn how easy they truly are. Another option is to install a pond liner that can be filled with water. This can be done by filling the liner with ground granulated limestone or pea gravel. The liner will then need to be secured with rocks or bricks, which should not be placed too close together because they will create air pockets that will allow the soil to dry out and become compacted.
Pool
This is a fabulous water feature that can take center stage in your garden! Usually, pools are the focal point when present in a backyard. They’re great for having fun in the sun while still staying cool. There are more than enough pool options out there. Whether you’re wanting this in-ground or surrounded by a deck is completely up to you.
Overall, having a water feature in your garden just proves that this doesn’t need to be expensive or difficult to achieve. It just depends on what you’re going for and how you can nicely accommodate it in your space!
